The present invention relates to an air guiding system for a vehicle, particularly a passenger car, which is arranged in a rear area of the vehicle and comprises at least one central main air guiding element, which can be displaced from a moved-in inoperative position into a moved-out operative position, lateral auxiliary air guiding elements being displaceable together with the or each central main air guiding element.
DE 30 19 150 A1 discloses an air guiding system that is arranged for a vehicle arranged in an upper rear area of the vehicle and has an air guiding element that can be displaced from an inoperative position, in which it is integrated in the shaping of the rear area flush with the surface, into a moved-out operative position. The air guiding element is constructed as an aerofoil which, by way of an operating device, can be displaced or changed from the inoperative position into the operative position and vice-versa.
DE 43 05 090 A1 also discloses a vehicle air guiding system arranged in a rear area of the vehicle and having an air guiding element that can be displaced from an inoperative position into a moved-out operative position. The air guiding element is formed by a rear spoiler arranged in a recessed receiving device of the vehicle body and displaced by an operating device from the inoperative position to the operative position and vice-versa.
By way of the air guiding systems disclosed in the aforementioned DE 30 19 150 A1 and DE 43 05 090 A1, the rear axle output coefficient (cah-value) of the motor vehicle can be increased while the drag coefficient (cw-value) remains the same or is improved, these known air guiding elements each having the same transverse dimension in the inoperative position and in the operative position.
Not yet published DE 10 2005 030 203, discloses an air guiding system for a vehicle, which comprises a central main air guiding element as well as two lateral auxiliary air guiding elements. By virtue of the auxiliary air guiding elements, the transverse dimension of the air guiding system can be enlarged in the operative position and particularly the rear axle output coefficient can be further increased. The adjusting movement of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements with respect to the central main air guiding element takes place when the main air guiding element is displaced from the inoperative position into the operative position. The adjustment of the auxiliary air guiding elements with respect to the main air guiding element therefore takes place after, and uncoupled, from the displacement of the main air guiding element.
An object of the present invention is to create a novel vehicle air guiding system in which the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements can be rotated like a folding knife with respect to the or each central main air guiding element in order to change them from an also moved-in inoperative position into an also moved-out operative position.
According to an advantageous further development of the invention, the adjustment of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements is coupled to the displacement of the or each central main air guiding element during its change or their change from the inoperative position into the operative position and vice versa such that the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements isochronously or simultaneously with the displacement of the or each central main air guiding element with respect to the or each main air guiding element can be changed from the inoperative into the operative position or from the operative position into the inoperative position. In this case, the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements are rotated like a folding knife with respect to the or each central main air guiding element. Within a very short time and in a simple manner, the transverse dimension of the air guiding system can thereby be adapted.
Preferably, the central main air guiding element can be translatorily displaced by two telescopic operating devices from the moved-in inoperative position into a moved-out operative position and vice-versa. Each of the telescopic operating devices includes a tube fixed to the vehicle body, in which a tube is guided which is fixed to the main air guiding element. Each of the lateral auxiliary air guiding elements is disposed on the tube of a telescopic operating device fixed to the main air guiding element, and each tube fixed to the main air guiding element during its translatory movement with respect to the tube fixed to the vehicle body of the respective telescopic operating device is rotatable relative to the tube fixed to the vehicle body about its longitudinal axis, in order to rotate the auxiliary air guiding elements with respect to the main air guiding element.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.